Diver survives three days in ocean
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Skeeter1097
Guest
I bet he won;t wont Lobster for dinner. Good store
medical1:
Fantastic news. There's a lesson in this.....never give up!
I think is someone left me behind and I got rescued three days later I'd be paying them a ..... visit ..... just for the therapeutic value.
R..
Missing diver found alive off Mana Island
National News Release 4:01pm 8 February 2006
Missing diver Robert Hewitt has been found alive after more than 72 hours in the water.
Mr Hewitt, 38, a former Navy diver, was spotted from the Police Launch Lady Elizabeth III shortly after 4pm and pulled from the water.
Details are sketchy but he is alive, conscious, dehydrated and needing medical attention. A paramedic is hoped to be dropped by helicopter to the police launch which is now heading towards the Mana Cruising Club.
Searchers and Mr Hewitt's family are ecstatic at finding Mr Hewitt alive.
A media conference will be held at the Mana Cruising Club at 5.30pm attended by police and Mr Hewitt's brother, former All Black Norm Hewitt.
Ends
Released by;
Kaye Calder
Wellington Police District Communications manager
tel 04 4963464 or 0274 373 020
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2006 New Zealand Police
http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/2284.php
National News Release 4:01pm 8 February 2006
Missing diver Robert Hewitt has been found alive after more than 72 hours in the water.
Mr Hewitt, 38, a former Navy diver, was spotted from the Police Launch Lady Elizabeth III shortly after 4pm and pulled from the water.
Details are sketchy but he is alive, conscious, dehydrated and needing medical attention. A paramedic is hoped to be dropped by helicopter to the police launch which is now heading towards the Mana Cruising Club.
Searchers and Mr Hewitt's family are ecstatic at finding Mr Hewitt alive.
A media conference will be held at the Mana Cruising Club at 5.30pm attended by police and Mr Hewitt's brother, former All Black Norm Hewitt.
Ends
Released by;
Kaye Calder
Wellington Police District Communications manager
tel 04 4963464 or 0274 373 020
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2006 New Zealand Police
http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/2284.php
Great news. Glad to see that he was found safely.
I just read this news clip. Anyone have any further details?
Diver survives three days in ocean Wed Feb 8, 8:20 AM ET
A former New Zealand navy diver left adrift at sea for three days survived by eating crayfish and sea slugs after he became separated from friends while diving near an island off the country's coast.
Robert Hewitt, 38, was suffering hypothermia and severe dehydration when he was found in mist and rain by former navy colleagues who joined police divers after an air search was called off, New Zealand Press Association reported.
"This defies survivability, it's bloody awesome," said police search and rescue Senior Sergeant Bruce Johnson.
Hewitt was found wearing only the bottom of his wetsuit and a yellow catch bag containing the remains of the crayfish and sea slugs that he had eaten during the ordeal, NZPA reported.
Johnson said the diver may have been protected by the thickness of his navy-issue divesuit, and was alert and "talked non stop" when rescued.
The alarm was raised Sunday when Hewitt, the older brother of a former All Black rugby player, failed to surface from a dive off Mana Island, north of Wellington on the country's North Island.
Diver survives three days in ocean Wed Feb 8, 8:20 AM ET
A former New Zealand navy diver left adrift at sea for three days survived by eating crayfish and sea slugs after he became separated from friends while diving near an island off the country's coast.
Robert Hewitt, 38, was suffering hypothermia and severe dehydration when he was found in mist and rain by former navy colleagues who joined police divers after an air search was called off, New Zealand Press Association reported.
"This defies survivability, it's bloody awesome," said police search and rescue Senior Sergeant Bruce Johnson.
Hewitt was found wearing only the bottom of his wetsuit and a yellow catch bag containing the remains of the crayfish and sea slugs that he had eaten during the ordeal, NZPA reported.
Johnson said the diver may have been protected by the thickness of his navy-issue divesuit, and was alert and "talked non stop" when rescued.
The alarm was raised Sunday when Hewitt, the older brother of a former All Black rugby player, failed to surface from a dive off Mana Island, north of Wellington on the country's North Island.
alijtaylor
Contributor
A bit more information here:
Hewitt talks of hope and hallucinations
09 February 2006
Dominion Post
In his 75 hour ordeal at sea diver Robert Hewitt suffered hallucinations, believing he was home with his fiance and children.
Hewitt, 38, a former Royal New Zealand Navy diver and brother of ex All Black Norm Hewitt, was found alive yesterday after going missing on a diving expedition near Porirua on Sunday.
He was found near where he went missing yesterday afternoon, his survival hailed as a miracle.
Mr Hewitt said from his hospital bed that he had drifted as far as Waikanae 27km to the north, then back to the vicinity of Mana Island, where his ordeal had begun.
As time went on without rescue he became disillusioned, but his attitude got him through.
"It's one of those things you have to have a good sense of humour, you know, look at the bright side of things," he told NewstalkZB's Paul Holmes from his hospital bed.
"I must say I was dying of thirst, but you look at the young kids overseas who haven't got water to drink so I just put myself in a mental state like that."
But towards the end of his ordeal Mr Hewitt began suffering hallucinations.
"I honestly thought yesterday afternoon I was at home. I started taking off some of my gear, here and there, floundering around like I was lost.
"I honestly thought I was at home with my fiance, Rangi, and my kids and I'd just come back from diving and I said `Sorry I'm a bit late'."
"The first day was good and then watching the aircraft shoot away and then coming into my first sunset. . . it hurt quite a bit.
"Once I spent my first night there I thought `right, it's going to be a bit longer than I thought'," Mr Hewitt said.
He had no water to drink, but managed to survive by eating crayfish and kina he had collected before his dive went wrong.
"Just one crayfish and four kina, after the first night I knew I had enough sustenance for 24 hours," he said.
"With the food, I shed a few kilos, but maybe they were the kilos that needed to be shed," he laughed.
Mr Hewitt said he did not have much time left, when rescued about 4pm yesterday.
"Honestly with the hallucinations that I had, especially yesterday, I don't think I would have made last night."
But he joked about returning to the area soon.
"Nah, I didn't bring a cray back I'll have to go out next week and try and get the big fulla I saw down there."
Mr Hewitt thanked his fiancee and family and all the well-wishers.
He was found by former navy colleagues in misty, rainy conditions, 400m northeast of Mana Island, near the entrance to Porirua Harbour.
The police launch Lady Elizabeth III took him to Mana Cruising Club where he was taken to Wellington Hospital by ambulance after a brief reunion with family.
Despite an intensive air, land and sea search, almost everyone had given Mr Hewitt up for dead.
Brother Norm Hewitt said today the family had never given up hope because the goal either way was to bring Robert home either dead or alive.
The air search was called off on Tuesday, but a Royal New Zealand Navy team of eight divers was brought in.
It was Chief petty officers Lyle Cairns and Buzz Tomoana, personal friends of Mr Hewitt's, who spotted him floating in a sheltered cove near the spot he went missing."
ENDS
Hewitt talks of hope and hallucinations
09 February 2006
Dominion Post
In his 75 hour ordeal at sea diver Robert Hewitt suffered hallucinations, believing he was home with his fiance and children.
Hewitt, 38, a former Royal New Zealand Navy diver and brother of ex All Black Norm Hewitt, was found alive yesterday after going missing on a diving expedition near Porirua on Sunday.
He was found near where he went missing yesterday afternoon, his survival hailed as a miracle.
Mr Hewitt said from his hospital bed that he had drifted as far as Waikanae 27km to the north, then back to the vicinity of Mana Island, where his ordeal had begun.
As time went on without rescue he became disillusioned, but his attitude got him through.
"It's one of those things you have to have a good sense of humour, you know, look at the bright side of things," he told NewstalkZB's Paul Holmes from his hospital bed.
"I must say I was dying of thirst, but you look at the young kids overseas who haven't got water to drink so I just put myself in a mental state like that."
But towards the end of his ordeal Mr Hewitt began suffering hallucinations.
"I honestly thought yesterday afternoon I was at home. I started taking off some of my gear, here and there, floundering around like I was lost.
"I honestly thought I was at home with my fiance, Rangi, and my kids and I'd just come back from diving and I said `Sorry I'm a bit late'."
"The first day was good and then watching the aircraft shoot away and then coming into my first sunset. . . it hurt quite a bit.
"Once I spent my first night there I thought `right, it's going to be a bit longer than I thought'," Mr Hewitt said.
He had no water to drink, but managed to survive by eating crayfish and kina he had collected before his dive went wrong.
"Just one crayfish and four kina, after the first night I knew I had enough sustenance for 24 hours," he said.
"With the food, I shed a few kilos, but maybe they were the kilos that needed to be shed," he laughed.
Mr Hewitt said he did not have much time left, when rescued about 4pm yesterday.
"Honestly with the hallucinations that I had, especially yesterday, I don't think I would have made last night."
But he joked about returning to the area soon.
"Nah, I didn't bring a cray back I'll have to go out next week and try and get the big fulla I saw down there."
Mr Hewitt thanked his fiancee and family and all the well-wishers.
He was found by former navy colleagues in misty, rainy conditions, 400m northeast of Mana Island, near the entrance to Porirua Harbour.
The police launch Lady Elizabeth III took him to Mana Cruising Club where he was taken to Wellington Hospital by ambulance after a brief reunion with family.
Despite an intensive air, land and sea search, almost everyone had given Mr Hewitt up for dead.
Brother Norm Hewitt said today the family had never given up hope because the goal either way was to bring Robert home either dead or alive.
The air search was called off on Tuesday, but a Royal New Zealand Navy team of eight divers was brought in.
It was Chief petty officers Lyle Cairns and Buzz Tomoana, personal friends of Mr Hewitt's, who spotted him floating in a sheltered cove near the spot he went missing."
ENDS
Sasquatch
Contributor
Diver0001:I think is someone left me behind and I got rescued three days later I'd be paying them a ..... visit ..... just for the therapeutic value.
R..
That's a point I completely missed: How did he get left behind? Therapy indeed!
Sea ya.
KidK9
Contributor
That's amazing. Very cool.
Fish_Whisperer
Contributor
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Man... I love that guy's attitude, but yeah, I agree with Diver0001: I'd be looking the culprits up.
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